Dreams, Dread, and Puppies
by Marz
Summary: SetoJou It was the dream that left him every night with nothing other than a racing heart, a trembling and sweaty body, and a strong feeling of dread that his puppy was in danger.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hi, all! Please ignore my pitiful excuse for a title. If anyone has any better ideas, I'd be really excited to hear them. I kinda formatted it after my LotR series since I couldn't think of anything else. This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic, just in case anyone wanted to know, so if it's not that good, blame it on inexperience. - Anyway, I think that's all I wanted to say. Any other information about the story will be listed below. If there's anything else you want to know, drop me a line and I'll be glad to do what I can. Thank you and enjoy the story!

Warnings: This story will contain yaoi, which means male/male relationships. If you don't like this, then don't read it. Simple as that.

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to say that this show is mine, it is not. I own nada! So please don't sue me, I'm getting a kitten today. She'll be sad if she has no one to come home to.

Rating: PG-13, just to be safe. If it ends up getting worse later on, I'll change it.

Pairings: I always liked it when other authors listed the pairings, so I think I'll start doing it, too. As stated in the summary, this will be focused on Seto and Jou. However, more pairings might pop up somewhere along the line. I'm not done writing this, so I'm not sure. Other pairings would be Yami/Yugi and Ryou/Bakura. Like I said, I'm not sure if I'll include them, we'll just have to play it by ear.

**Dreams, Dread, and Puppies**

Prologue

Seto Kaiba, teenage billionaire and CEO to Japan's number one leading corporation, found himself whimpering like a small child, trembling as his clothes clung to his body as it was drenched in a cold sweat. He took deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart, putting his head in his hands.

"This has got to stop," he muttered darkly to himself. Taking one last calming breath, he managed to stop shaking like a leaf and looked around the room. His gaze finally came to rest on the unused pillow beside him. Carefully, as if were made of glass, he picked it up and hugged it to his chest. Feeling slightly childish for needing the comfort, Kaiba buried his head in the soft fabric and breathed in the familiar but fading scent. The scent had the desired effect and calmed down his nerves further, allowing him to lie back down.

Kaiba sighed as he held the pillow tightly to him. It was the same dream every night since the pup left. It was the dream that left him every night with nothing other than a racing heart, a trembling and sweaty body, and a strong feeling of dread that his puppy was in danger. He was only able to get back to sleep after cuddling the pillow the pup had used when he had stayed over not long ago.

The CEO thought back to the previous week with a smile. That week had to have been the best week of his life. At that point the pup and him had been together a month, a fact that never ceased to amaze him. That week had been their week off from school, and since the pup's father was away, he offered for the pup to stay with him until he got back. His smile grew when an image of his puppy's face appeared behind his eyes the moment he had made the offer. His puppy had never looked so happy.

That week he spent whatever time he wasn't in the office with his puppy and little brother. He went in late so he could eat breakfast with them in the morning and left early to have fun before dinner. Sometimes the two would simply wait for him to come home, sometimes they'd be playing a game, and sometimes he'd come home to them asleep on the couch. When that would happen, he would come in as quietly as possible and watch the two lights of his life sleep.

As much as he might not like to admit it, his relationship with the pup sometimes scared him. He had never cared for anyone other than Mokuba his entire life, and never the way he cared for the puppy. He had never let himself get too close to anyone. But somehow the pup had managed to worm his way past his walls of ice and into his heart. Now that he knew what he had been missing and had found what he had wanted all along, he was deathly afraid of losing it. He finally had the companionship, the love that he always yearned for and the dream kept saying it was going to be taken away.

Kaiba snuggled into the pillow and closed his eyes, the fading scent of his puppy washing over him. He tried to forget about the dream and thought about seeing his puppy at school in the morning. He finally managed to drift off to sleep again but the feeling of dread never strayed far from his heart.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, mina-san! I hate to say this, but don't get too excited about the super-fast update. Most likely this will never happen again. I just happen to have written the prologue and first chapter over the weekend. Now that school is starting up again for the week updates will be slower. I'm bad at updating, so you'll have to forgive me. College keeps me super-busy being a Music Ed. major, so I'll do the best that I can. It doesn't help that I have a paper due at the end of the week. Ick. Anyway, that's that. So, I apologize now for the slowness that is to come. Reviews will help give me the incentive to write faster. It works better when I have people to please. - Thank you muchly and enjoy the story!

Warnings: Same as last time, this story contains yaoi, which means male/male relationships. Don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: Not mine. sigh Man, I'm already tired of writing these...Oh well.

Rating: Still PG-13

Pairings: Still only Seto/Jou.

_Thoughts_

**Dreams, Dread, and Puppies**

Chapter 1

It was a frantic Seto Kaiba that arrived at school a few hours later. The dream refused to flea from his mind and he awoke a second time more shaken than the first. He all but inhaled breakfast, briefly explained to Mokuba what was wrong and raced toward the school. He frowned as he realized that he had to go to school to see his puppy seeing as he didn't know where he lived. Well, that would all change today.

The general populous of the school couldn't discern a frantic Seto Kaiba from an extremely pissed off Seto Kaiba so they all scrambled to get out of his way, which was fine by him. He stormed through the halls looking for any signs of his blonde-haired puppy or his friends.

After ten fruitless minutes of searching, he finally spotted a shock of tri-colored hair and headed straight for it. The boy was walking to the pup's other best friend in a brown coat.

"Yugi."

The boy turned to him and blinked his large amethyst eyes at him. "Oh, hi, Kaiba," he greeted cheerfully.

"Where's the mutt?" he demanded, getting straight to the point.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him yet this morning. He's probably not here yet. You know Jou, he's late more than he is on time," he said with a laugh.

Kaiba sighed and nodded–the kid had a point. He then walked away and into the classroom. He placed his books on his desk and rested his head on them. The puppy was fine. The dreams are pointless. He's gonna walk in any second with a big grin, talking to his friends, blush at the sight of him, and take his seat. That was the morning routine. No one breaks routine! Unless something's wrong...

The sound of laughter broke his thoughts as people started to enter the room. He looked and looked, but no puppy. He forced his heart to stay calm as every chair filled up save for the one on his left. Finally the teacher walked in and started talking, signaling the beginning of class while Kaiba fought down a full-blown panic attack. Seto Kaiba did not panic. But where was Katsuya!

Almost in answer to his silent question the door to the classroom opened to reveal a slightly out of breath Jounouchi. Kaiba almost fainted in relief to see his puppy alive and well and...looking thoroughly pissed off?

"Nice of you to join us, Jounouchi. Care to tell us where you've been?" the teacher sneered.

"You don't wanna know," Jou grumbled as he took his place next to Kaiba.

"What was that, Jounouchi? I didn't quite hear you."

"I said you don't wanna know!" Jou snapped, glaring at the teacher with glistening eyes.

Kaiba watched the interaction with interest and growing concern for his puppy. He had never seen his eyes glisten like that, almost with unshed tears. Also, very rarely did he ever get that angry. Only he had managed to get the pup that riled up, he thought proudly.

As the teacher opened his mouth to say more, Kaiba threw one of his better, more potent glares, shutting him up instantly. He'd be damned if he let this idiot of a teacher hurt his puppy more than he already had.

Jou noticed the teacher pale and snap his mouth shut. He turned his gaze to the one beside him, seeing the icy glare in place. For once it was used in his defense! He smiled in thanks when the other turned to him, a question in his eyes instead of ice. He mouthed the word 'later' to him and got out his books.

Later, indeed.

It was lunch when Kaiba finally had time to talk to his puppy alone. However, as luck would have it, it was then they got separated. Shoving his books none too gently in his locker, he let out a growl and slammed the door shut. He was about to head toward the lunch room to search when a commotion in the courtyard caught his attention.

"Stupid punks." He moved to walk away but a familiar voice crying out in pain stopped him. _Yugi. _Instead of continuing toward the lunch room, he turned and made his way to the gathering crowd, knowing that whenever Yugi was in trouble his pup wasn't far away.

"Why isn't he fighting back?" he heard a student ask.

Another student answered. "He never fights back. Jou's always there to fight for him, even though he looks pretty beat up already."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at that remark and stood behind them, trying to see what was happening. "What's going on?" he demanded sharply.

"K-Kaiba!" the first student stuttered, looking up with fearful eyes.

"Well?" he snapped impatiently, looking to the other. When they did nothing but gawk at him, he tossed them aside and started trying to make his way toward the middle of the gathering. He strained his ears for anything that might tell him what was happening.

"Don't touch him, Kaito," he heard Jou growl. _Kaito, huh? So that's who's causing all the trouble. Watch yourself, puppy._

"Jou, get out of here, he'll hurt you!" a younger-sounding voice pleaded. He recognized Yugi's voice again. _Of course Jou's fighting for Yugi. He'd do anything to protect him. Would he do the same for..._ Kaiba shook his head. This was the wrong time for such thoughts.

"I can take him, Yug. Honda, get him outta here."

"Be careful, Jou," he heard Honda reply.

A moment later Kaiba saw two people headed his way. He heard Yugi call to him.

"Kaiba! Oh, thank Ra you're here. Jou's in trouble and it's all my fault. You've gotta help him, please!" Kaiba looked down as a teary Yugi confirmed his fears.

"Yugi, why are you asking Kaiba for help. Why would he help Jou?" Honda asked, throwing a glare in Kaiba's direction.

Yugi looked into Kaiba's eyes knowingly. "I know he will. Please, Kaiba. He needs you," he added in a broken whisper.

Like he needed a plea from the runt, he already knew his puppy was in trouble. Without a word he turned and continued walking. How much time had he wasted listening to Yugi plead with him? What had happened to his puppy? Was he hurt? Did he win? What–

"Don't you ever go near my friends again. You got that, Kaito?" he heard Jou say dangerously. Boy, was he the wrong guy to piss off!

Kaiba let out a breath of relief. His puppy had won. Finally he pushed his way to the middle just to see Jou walk away behind the building. He followed quickly, wondering why he chose to go off by himself instead of checking on Yugi. His questions was answered when he heard Jou let out a sound of pain and saw him start to collapse.

Eyes widening, Kaiba rushed forward to catch Jou around the waist, holding him close to his body. He noticed Jou's eyes were shut, as if bracing himself for impact with the unforgiving ground.

Jou opened his eyes as he felt himself collide with something soft and warm instead of hard and cold. He looked up into piercing blue eyes. Immediately, he relaxed.

"Seto," he breathed in relief.

Seto found himself supporting more of his puppy's weight a he sagged against him, although it wasn't enough for his liking. He shouldn't be that easy to hold. "Katsuya?" he ventured worriedly.

Jou took a deep breath and balanced himself on his feet enough to turn around and bury his head in Seto's chest. He wrapped his arms loosely around his waist and breathed a shaky sigh. That turned out to be a mistake.

Seto was mildly surprised when Jou turned into him, but he became alarmed when Jou's hand suddenly clutched the back of his shirt with one hand while the other came around to clutch his own chest after taking a deep breath. He once again found himself supporting almost all of Jou's weight as his puppy's knees buckled beneath him.

Gently, Seto lowered them both to the ground and placed Jou in his lap. "Katsuya?" he asked again, placing a gentle hand on his face. "Puppy, open your eyes."

Jou shook his head slightly. "You don't want me to do that," he said softly.

This served to further alarm the CEO. "Yes, I do," he said in a surprisingly calm and steady voice. He peered into Jou's face as he slowly blinked his eyes open. He gasped slightly as two crystalline tears fell from eyes clouded over with pain. Quickly regaining control over himself, Seto kissed the tears away, leaving one last warm kiss on Jou's forehead. Never in the years that he's known him has Katsuya ever cried. Whoever hurt him was going to pay dearly, Seto vowed silently, holding his injured puppy to him.

Jou closed his eyes and rested his head against Seto's chest. He quietly reveled in the feeling of Seto's arms around him, knowing, at least for a short time, he was protected. He began to sigh in contentment, but a pain shooting through his chest stopped him.

Seto looked down as Jou's breath hitched and he let out a small whimper.

"Breathing...bad idea..."

"Where are you hurt?" Seto asked quietly.

"Too many places," Jou replied with a slight grin, easing Seto's apprehension a bit.

"Puppy..."

"My chest...hurts when I breathe too deep."

Seto frowned and maneuvered him so he supported him with one arm, leaving the other free to investigate. "I'm going to lift up your shirt, so hold still."

A look of horror crossed Jou's face. "No! Don't–ah!" He broke off, clutching his chest again, hiding his face in the crook of Seto's neck.

He kissed the top of his head. "I have to." What was he hiding?

Jou stayed his hand with a strangled, "Wait!" Seto looked at him expectantly. "Not here. Please."

Seto nodded, assuring him with another light kiss on his hair. "All right, pup, but I'm taking you home." He sighed in exasperation as Jou shook his head. "What _will _you let me do?"

"Stay with me?"

"I wasn't planning on leaving you. I'm going to take you back to my house and call a doctor, all right?"

Jou nodded and let Seto help him to his feet. He fell against the taller boy as his head swam and felt the arm around his waist tighten. He blinked to clear his vision, gradually standing on his own. It took him a moment to realize Seto was talking to someone over his cell phone and was just hanging up.

"Driver," he explained shortly. "Let's get you home, puppy."

"Can I check on Yugi first?"

Seto made the mistake of looking down into pleading eyes. "He's fine; I saw him," he tried lamely.

"He'll panic if I just disappear."

The CEO sighed. "You've been spending way too much time with Mokuba... Fine. We'll go hunt him down."

Jou smiled. "You make him sound like some small game animal."

"He is small," Seto teased, leading Jou back out into the courtyard.

Jou opened his mouth to retort but two cries of his name cut him off. He turned to see Yugi and Honda run up to him.

Seto watched in slight horror as Yugi immediately latched onto his puppy in a giant hug. He stood ready to catch him again should he fall, reputation be damned. He all but gaped at the pup when all he did was wince. But even that was gone when Yugi looked back up at him. He silently applauded his puppy's acting skills. He would do anything to protect his friends, especially Yugi.

It took everything Jou had not to collapse as Yugi hugged him. He knew Honda saw the flash of pain he was unable to suppress, but as long as Yugi didn't, he didn't care. If Yugi thought he got hurt because of him, he would never forgive himself.

"Are you all right, Jou?" Yugi asked worriedly, looking him over. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Nothin' I can't handle. Don't worry about it, Yug, I'm fine." Despite Jou's reassurances, he watched in dismay as Yugi's eyes filled up with tears. "Yugi..."

"But you did get hurt, Jou, I know you did!" Yugi cried, tears slipping down his face. "I'm so sorry, Jou, it's all my fault."

"Yugi, don't you even think that, you hear me?" Jou knelt down, wincing again, glad Yugi wasn't looking at him for the moment. "Yug, look at me. Do l look mad? Do I look like I blame you for any of this?"

Yugi looked at him and shook his head. "No," he whispered.

Jou placed his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "Do I look like I wold do this again in a heartbeat if it meant protectin' you?"

"Yes. But you shouldn't have to, Jou!"

"Hey, we're friends, Yug, and that's what friends do. Don't make me go get Anzu over here to give us that speech again." That earned him a watery chuckle. "Do you remember when I was under Marik's control and I was forced to duel you?" He felt Seto stiffen behind him, clearly uncomfortable with the memory of his pup in danger.

"Of course. That was horrible!"

"Tell me about it. You risked your life to save me, Yugi. You taught me what it means to be a friend. I mean, come on, I haven't torn off his big lug's head yet." Jou reached behind him to thwack Seto's leg.

"Watch it, mutt." He looked down to see Jou grinning back at him. He then made a show of rolling his eyes and turning away, hoping no one could see the corners of his mouth trying to curve into a smile.

Yugi, however, saw this and giggled, then threw his arms around Jou's neck. "Thanks, Jou."

"No problem, Yug." Jou returned the embrace, proud of himself for his pain-free voice. "Listen, I'm gonna go, all right?"

Yugi pulled back. "But you said you were all right! Jou..."

"I am! It's more for his sake than mine," he mumbled conspiringly, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

Yugi giggled again at his best friend's antics and stepped back.

Seto rolled his eyes and placed his arms under Jou's elbows, lifting him easily to his feet. "Come on, pup, let's get you fixed."

"Hey! You make it sound like you're gonna neuter me!"

"Feel better, Jou. We'll see you tomorrow. Oh, don't worry, I'll tell the office what happened."

"Thanks, Yug. Honda, watch him, okay?"

"Sure thing, man." Honda placed his hand on Jou's arm briefly before watching the two supposed enemies walk off together. "There somethin' I'm missin', Yugi?"

Yugi shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe. Ask Jou tomorrow. We have to get to class, lunch is almost over."

Honda nodded absently and followed Yugi back into the school. _I missed somethin' big..._

A/N: Me again! First of all, I know that I'm spelling Yugi with only one "u" even though I'm using the Japanese names. I think Yuugi looks too weird... Let's see...what else? Oh, I also know that I switched from "Kaiba" to "Seto" a little way through. I got tired of calling him Kaiba, so as soon as Jou started calling him Seto, so did I. Does it make sense? It does in my head...but that's not saying much. - I think that's it. If I messed anything up, please let me know. I like to be as real as possible. Thanks a bunch! Please review!


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi, all! First of all, I want to say thank you soooo much to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Some questions will be answered in this chapter, but not all of them. Where would the fun be in that? I don't know how long this fic will end up being, so I don't know when all the questions will be answered. I'm posting each chapter as I finish it and it's not planned out. Even when I plan out my stories they seem to end up going in a different direction. Oh well. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say, so sit back and enjoy!

Warnings: Same as previous chapters. Contains yaoi—male/male relationship. Don't like, don't read.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Seto/Jou

**Dreams, Dread, and Puppies**

Chapter 2

Seto watched his puppy walk ahead of him with curiosity and annoyance. What was he doing? His friends were all inside the school, he didn't need to hide anything anymore. Why wouldn't he let Seto help him? Seto stopped that thought before it progressed any further, frowning. _Hypocrite._

"You can drop the act, pup," Seto finally said, although it came out harsher than intended. Jou, however, didn't seem to notice.

"No, I can't," was all he said, coming out strained.

"And why is that?" Seto asked crossly.

"It's the only think keeping me walking. Don't distract me."

"Katsuya, if you're in so much pain, stop."

"I'll stop when I get to the car," he insisted.

Seto sighed and shook his head. He marched up to the other stubborn boy and forced him to stop, placing firm hands on his shoulders. "Stop this nonsense. You're hurt and your body's telling you not to push yourself. So don't. You're the only one I care about besides Mokuba and I'll be damned if I let you hurt yourself like this."

Jou looked at him, trying to calm his rapid breathing. "Do you want me to collapse?"

"If it'll make you feel better, yes."

Jou paused, then in a softer voice, "Will you catch me?"

Seto's eyes softened as he placed a gentle hand on is puppy's face. "Have I ever missed?"

Jou shook his head with a small smile. "Never." He moved into Seto, letting the other hold him around the waist. He sighed lightly as he let himself lean on the brunette, taking some weight off his battered body.

Seto led him to the car, gently placing his precious cargo in the back seat. He slid in next to him not a moment later and accepted his pup into his arms. "You all right, puppy?" He frowned when he didn't receive an answer. "Puppy?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked you if you were all right."

"As long as I don't have to move, I'm fine. You're warm."

"I know a lot of people who would argue that," the CEO said amusedly.

"Don't care. They don't know you. They have no right to judge you." Jou frowned in anger, wincing slightly.

Seto noticed and tried to calm him, kissing the top of his head. "Shh. Don't get yourself worked up over me. Just relax, we're almost home."

"I am relaxed," Jou grumbled, moving his head back to rest on Seto's chest.

Seto allowed himself a small smile as he brought Jou closer to him. Had someone told him a year ago that he'd be sitting in the back of his limo holding Jounouchi Katsuya he'd have laughed at them and called them insane. Never before had he ever pictured someone special in his life, let alone the pup. Now he couldn't picture a life without him. Once he found out how had hurt him, that person would pay.

The brunette was brought out of his silent musings upon feeling Jou press his face against his chest. He looked down to see Jou's eyes tightly shut. "Katsuya?"

"I'm fine."

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Katsuya."

"Sorry, old habit." There was a slight hesitation. "I don't know whether I feel like I'm gonna pass out or throw up."

"Hopefully neither." Seto raised his eyes to look at the driver and opened his mouth to speak, when he was cut off.

"We're here, Mr. Kaiba," the driver announced. "Mokuba will be surprised to see you home so soon."

"What's Mokuba doing home already?"

The driver smiled. "It seems he forgot to tell you he had a half day today."

Seto sighed and shook his head. "Indeed." He turned his attention back to Jou. "Come on out, pup."

Jou slowly sat up and blinked at him. "Are we there yet?"

Seto rolled his eyes and got out of the car. "Don't ask stupid questions."

The blonde grinned at his retreating back and slid over the seat toward the door. He paused there a moment to let his protesting body adjust to movement, then swung his legs out of the car and stood up. He paused again as his vision swam, panicking when it didn't clear. There's the answer to his question.

"Seto…"

Seto turned at the sound of his name, just in time to see Jou collapse again. He reacted instantly, catching him and holding him tightly. "I told you to be more careful." He frowned as he realized he was supporting all of Jou's weight and was receiving no answer. "Katsuya? Katsuya!" He cursed as he swung Jou's legs up to hold him underneath the knees and around the shoulders. As soon as he was situated he went to the house, kicking open the door.

Any other time the sight that greeted him would have given him pause, just to look at the content picture his little brother made while playing his video game. Now, however, was not one of them.

"Mokuba, go call the doctor and tell him to come here now! This is an emergency!"

With wide eyes, Mokuba nodded and ran to do what he was told.

Seto went straight to his room to lay Jou down on the bed. He had wanted to get him here, but not like this! As gently as he could, he took off Jou's shirt to see what kind of damage had been done to his puppy. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

"Katsuya," he breathed, looking over his body. His eyes were drawn to the massive bruise over Jou's chest, extending over his ribs, explaining why it hurt him to breathe. There were matching, smaller bruises all over his torso and arms. One bruise on his upper arm, though, caught his attention. Eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, he placed his hand so it hovered just above Jou's arm. He pulled back with a growl. That last bruise looked suspiciously like a hand.

The CEO gently covered up his puppy's mutilated body as he heard footsteps rushing toward his room. Sure enough, Mokuba stood in his doorway a moment later, panting lightly.

"Seto?" he ventured.

Instead of replying, he held out an arm, beckoning his little brother in. He wasn't sure if he could trust his voice. Almost immediately Mokuba was wrapped protectively in his embrace.

"What happened to him?" Mokuba asked in a small voice.

Seto tightened his hold. "I'm not sure. He didn't tell me. Baka, koinu…"

Mokuba sniffed. "He's gonna be okay, right, Seto? He's not gonna leave like…mom and dad?"

Seto snapped his head around. "What? No! He's going to be fine. I promise, Mokie, I won't let him leave."

Mokuba nodded and hid his tears in his brother's shirt. "'Kay."

Seto held him reassuringly. "Sometimes I forget how young you really are, Mokuba. You're so strong. I'm proud of you, little brother."

Mokuba pulled back and smiled at him. "Thanks, big brother."

Time Jump (the stupid computer won't let me put in anything else...grr)

Seto silently shut the door to his room as he followed the doctor out. He then led the way to the living room where two cups of tea were waiting for them. They both sat down facing each other, one impatient and one weary. Seto took that to be a bad sign.

"Well?" he snapped.

The doctor sighed. "Where do you want me to start?"

Seto narrowed his eyes, suddenly glad he sent Mokuba to his room for this. "What do you mean by that?"

"First I want to say Jounouchi will be fine in a few days as long as he takes it easy. There is no permanent damage, although he'll be in a bit of pain."

"A bit?" Seto asked, eyebrow raised.

"A lot. That's why I wrote out this prescription." The doctor handed Seto a small piece of paper. "You should get this filled immediately since he should be waking up soon; his concussion isn't severe."

"Concussion? How did he get a concussion?" Seto exclaimed.

"Actually, I had been hoping you could tell me, but I see, now, you know no more than I. It amazes me he was able to stay conscious as long as you said he did. Between the pain of his ribs and his concussion I'm surprised he didn't pass out sooner."

"He's a stubborn mutt. What about his ribs?"

"One is cracked and the rest are bruised. I wrapped them, so it should be fine. But should the bandages loosen I left another set on your bed table."

Seto nodded in understanding. "Is there anything else?"

"That's injured? Just minor cuts and bruises. There was one thing I wanted to discuss with you, though." The doctor took a deep breath before continuing. "Many of his wounds seem to be at least a day old. The bruise on his chest shows slight signs of healing, although it hasn't been long enough to notice unless you're looking for it. There is also the issue of a bruise on his upper left arm in the shape of a hand."

"Yes, I noticed that as well."

"That looks to be about the same age of the bruise on his chest, so I'm sure they occurred at the same time. I also found scars that could be years old. I'm guessing whatever's going on with him has been going on for quite a while."

Seto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am going to find out what's going on and it's going to stop."

The doctor nodded, drained his tea, and stood. "If that is all, Mr. Kaiba, I must get back to my office."

Seto nodded and stood as well, showing him to the door. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nodded and started to leave, but paused in the doorway. "Mr. Kaiba…get the bastard who did this."

"I plan to." With that he shut the door and headed toward his room to check on his puppy.

A/N: Sorry if Mokuba seemed OOC, I just don't know how to write him. Besides, I wanted a cute brother moment somewhere in there. :) If you have any suggestions on how to improve on writing Mokuba, please let me know. And, anything else, too. Thankies!


	4. Dreams, Dread, and Puppies Ch 3

A/N: Hello! Again, my deepest thanks go out to all my reviewers. Thank you so much! One reviewer thought that the last chapter was a little short, so this one is longer. Not much longer, but at least a little bit. I thought that where it ended was good and couldn't come up with anything to write after it. So, instead of taking away from the ending and forcing myself to write something more, I left as is. I hope you all agree with me. Anyway, angst and fluff in this chapter. Issues are brought up, but I'm sure you all figured that out. Um…I think that's it, so sit back and enjoy!

Warning: Yaoi—male/male relationship. You have been warned. Multiple times.

Disclaimer: Now class, who can tell me what Marz owns? Good answer, Johnny. Nothing! At least, where Yu-Gi-Oh is involved.

Rating: PG-13. Or…what is it? T? K? I don't remember.

Pairings: Seto/Jou

**Dreams, Dread, and Puppies**

Chapter 3

Seto opened the door to his room and slid silently inside. On his way there he had given a maid the prescription with an order to have it filled immediately. He planned on easing his puppy's pain as soon as possible.

He moved gracefully to the side of the bed and sat down, smoothing a lock of wayward hair from his pup's face. "Who's been hurting you?" he murmured. He let out a quiet sigh when he received no answer. "I guess you'll want some water when you wake up, huh, pup?" With one last look at his golden puppy he stood and went into his bathroom, filling a cup with cold water.

As the water neared the top of the cup a soft groan reached his ears. Quickly, he turned off the water and went back to the bedroom. He looked down, waiting for his puppy to open his eyes. A moment later he cursed himself, knowing he looked like a worried housewife. Instantly, he spotted a chair and dragged it over to the side of the bed. He all but threw himself in the chair, doing his best to appear nonchalant as brown eyes slowly blinked open.

"Seto," Jou managed to croak, not fully awake yet.

Seto allowed himself a small smile before going back to his laid-back pose. "Welcome back to the land of the living, puppy."

Having something to focus on, Jou turned his head toward Seto's voice and forced his eyes open. "Thanks." He took as deep a breath as he dared. "I passed out, didn't I?" Seto nodded. "Well, at least I didn't ruin your car," he said with a grin. "I'm guessing that since I don't hurt any more than I already did, you must've caught me."

Seto sat forward in his chair. "Would I do anything else?"

"Nah. I _am_ your favorite puppy, after all."

"And how is my favorite puppy feeling?"

"Like I got my ass kicked. But that's nothin' new." Jou's eyes widened as he realized hat he just said.

Seto's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"

"Nothin'," Jou replied quickly.

"I don't appreciate being lied to, Katsuya," Seto told him icily.

"I'm not lyin'! I just…don't wanna talk right now," he finished quietly, looking away.

Seto stood from his chair. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on!"

"I never asked for your help!" Jou yelled, trying to sit up. He immediately cried out in pain, falling back on the bed, eyes and teeth clenched.

Seto resisted the urge to hold him until the pain went away. "I'll try to remember that." He turned and walked toward the door, pausing slightly at a hushed whisper that he didn't quite hear. He'd figure out what he said later. Now he needed to check on the medicine. He didn't notice the tears on his puppy's face as he exited the room.

XxXxX

Mokuba paused out side his brother's room. _It's been long enough, hasn't it? The doctor left so Seto's had time to be alone with Jou. I wonder if he's awake yet?_ Pressing his ear up to the door, he strained to hear what was going on inside. The soft sound that finally reached his ears made him frown. _Who's crying? Seto wouldn't…unless…_ Mokuba's eyes widened as his heart sped up. Opening the door a crack, he peeked in, only to breathe a sigh of relief. Jou was all right. But…

The younger Kaiba's frown deepened when he took in Jou's form curled on the bed, crying into his brother's pillow. Seto was nowhere to be seen and Mokuba got the feeling Jou wasn't openly sobbing because of any physical pain he was in. Sighing, he shut the door, one question running through his mind. _What did my brother do, now?_

He wandered downstairs in search of his brother. Once he spotted him, his steps became more determined. He marched up to Seto and stood in front of him, hands on his hips. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

Seto didn't even twitch at his brother's outburst. He simply kept staring ahead of him from the chair he was sitting in. "What are you talking about, Mokuba?"

"I'm talking about Jou. What did you do to him?"

"I tried to help him. Obviously he doesn't want it," Seto replied bitterly.

Mokuba sighed. "What happened?" he asked tiredly.

"I tried to get him to tell me what happened to him and he wouldn't tell me. I can't help him if he doesn't tell me what's wrong, Mokbua!"

"You yelled at him, didn't you?"

Seto finally looked at him. "What?"

"You did, didn't you? You yelled at him or said something mean!" Mokuba stared at him until he finally looked away, making Mokuba sigh again. "Big brother, you can't force people to tell you things."

"What are you getting at?"

"Seto, you want him to tell you that he's being beaten!" Mokub exclaimed. He continued at Seto's quizzical look, "Look, I eavesdropped on the doctor. Big deal."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "Mokuba…"

"Seto, listen!" Mokuba got down on his knees, placing his hands on his brother's knees. "You know what being abused is like; you know how hard it is to tell people. I'm the only one who knows because I was there! You also know how stubborn Jounouchi is. You'll only hurt him more by forcing him to tell you before he's ready to. Big brother, whatever you said to him up there must've really hurt him 'cuz he's crying pretty bad," he continued softly.

"He is?"

Mokuba nodded. "And I don't think it's because of his ribs."

Seto sighed, covering his face with his hands. "I made a mess of things again, didn't I?"

Mokuba smiled. "Yup. But you can fix it. Just go hug him, apologize, and tell him you love him. It's always worked before."

"Thanks, little brother. Can you stay here and wait for Jou's medicine to get here and then bring it to me?"

"Sure thing!"

Seto smiled a bit, ruffled his hair and stood. Then he made his way back to his room to repair the damage he caused.

XxXxX

For the second time that day Seto opened the door to his room and silently slipped in, closing it behind him. The sight he saw before him tore at his heart. Mokuba was right, he had hurt his puppy. Now he was going to fix it.

Jou didn't seem to notice his presence as he walked across the room and sat on the side of the bed. For a moment Seto just watched him, until he realized Jou was crying into his pillow. _Does he wish that were me?_ he wondered.

Seto reached down and placed a gentle hand on the side of his puppy's face. Jou looked up at him, for a moment startled out of his tears. They started up again once he realized who was with him. The two boys looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Jou finally looking down and starting to back away jolted Seto into action.

_He thinks I don't want him anymore,_ he thought to himself in sudden realization. Quickly, he reached out with his other hand to place it on the other side of Jou's face. His heart cried when his puppy flinched at the sudden movement. Slowly and gently he wiped Jou's tears away and leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead. Then he brought Jou to him so he sat in his lap, head resting in the crook of his neck. He felt his puppy's tears on his skin as he held him close.

"I'm sorry, puppy," he whispered softly.

Jou cried harder and wrapped his arms around Seto's chest. He knew he couldn't trust his voice so instead he shook his head and pressed a kiss to the side of Seto's neck. Then he went back o his original position to shed the tears he couldn't hold back.

Seto continued to hold him, not knowing what else to do besides stroke his hair. He knew he was forgiven when he felt the kiss on his neck and allowed himself a small smile. But what could his puppy be crying about this whole time? Unless it was just all coming out now, all the pain and fear he never let go.

There were far too many tears for the CEO's liking, but he knew it had to happen. He couldn't let his puppy turn out to be like him. He wouldn't. So he sat there as a silent support until his pup cried himself out.

"I'm sorry." Even though they were barely a whisper, the words still startled him.

Seto looked down ad realized Jou had stopped crying. "What?"

Jou cleared his throat. "I'm sorry about earlier and…now. I haven't cried like this since Shizuka left."

The brunette shook his head and kissed his puppy's hair. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I…shouldn't have pushed you to tell me what happened and I'm sorry."

Jou smiled up at him. "You only pushed 'cuz you were worried and you love me. Right?"

Seto smiled back, seeing the need for reassurance in the blonde's eyes. "Very much, yes. To both." He felt his heart lighten at the glowing smile Jou gave him. He took Jou's face in his hands again and leaned down to capture Jou's lips in his in a quick kiss. "Sometimes it takes a big kick from a little brother to get me going in the right direction. Speaking of which…Mokuba, you can come in now."

A surprised squeak came from the other side of the door. A moment later a head full of black hair popped in. "How'd you know I was there?"

"I'm your brother, I know everything. Now come in here and give me the medicine."

Mokuba made a face but came in anyway. "Seto, that stopped working when I was six."

"Too bad, I'm still your brother."

He smiled, handing Seto a bottle of pills. "Wouldn't have it any other way. It says to take one every six hours as needed and not to take more than four in twenty-four hours." He looked at Jou with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, Jou?"

"I'll be fine, don't you worry about me. Now give me one 'a those pills."

XxXxX

After a long while of convincing Mokuba that yes, Jou was really all right and no, he wasn't going to leave because his brother did something stupid, the black-haired pre-teen finally left. Seto and Jou waited until they were sure Mokuba was a safe distance away before turning to each other.

Jou looked at Seto only a moment before launching himself into his arms, crushing their lips together in a heated kiss. To say Seto was surprised would be an understatement, but not an altogether unpleasant one. He let his puppy have his way for once, leading the passionate tongue-war. Both were disappointed when they had to separate for air.

"What…was that for, puppy?" Seto panted.

Jou rested his head on Seto's shoulder. "Just…checking." He waited for his breathing to calm before he continued. "I didn't think you were going to come back," he admitted softly. "And Mokuba was worried I'd leave you."

"Why were you worried I wouldn't come back? We've had our fights before."

Jou looked down, hanging his head. "I know and I'm sorry for doubting you. It's just…when you're told you're worthless and nobody wants ya enough times you start to believe it."

Seto felt a stab of guilt. "I didn't help with that, did I? I've told you that countless times. Puppy, if I could take it back—" He was cut off by a chuckle.

"Are you kidding? That's how we noticed each other, got to know each other. I wouldn't trade that, even though I said some pretty nasty stuff, too. But if not for our fighting, we never would've made it here. Being with you is worth everything."

"I'm glad you feel that way because so do I." Seto moved so his forehead touched Jou's. "You don't have to worry about me leaving you, pup, no matter what anyone else tells you. You and Mokuba are everything to me," he whispered.

Jou felt tears prick the back of his eyes and could only nod. Deciding he needed to be closer to him, Jou climbed in Seto's lap again, resting his head in its previous spot in the crook of his neck. He sighed happily.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine. The pain-killers work miracles. But I'm not gonna do back-flips anytime soon."

Seto chuckled a bit. "I'm not worried."

Jou lifted his head long enough to stick out his tongue, then went back to his spot. The sat in silence for a while before Jou noticed that Seto was playing with the hair near his neck. Something was up.

"What is it, Seto?" The hand faltered.

"What's what?"

"Come on, Seto. You only play with that part of my hair when you're nervous. What is it?"

Seto thought about pulling his hand back but decided against it. Jou' hair was just too soft. "You're not going to like what I want to ask you."

Jou forced himself not to tense up, already knowing what was on his mind. He took a deep breath. "Go ahead and ask, Seto. I'll answer you."

"You don't have to, Katsuya."

Jou shook his head. "No, you deserve to know."

Seto paused for a moment to nuzzle Jou's hair in a brief gesture of comfort. "Who hurt you?" he asked quietly.

"My dad," Jou answered after a moment of silence.

"How long?"

"Ever since mom left with Shizuka. He wasn't always mean and a drunk, it was just after they left. He just…stopped living and blamed everything on me."

"The divorce happened when you were ten, right? So, you've…he's…" Seto's eyes widened in realization.

Jou nodded. "Almost eight years now."

"Didn't you ever want to leave?"

"Of course I did. But I needed to know he'd be taken care of. He'll die if he's left alone. I know he hurts me, but he's still my dad. And besides, where would I have gone? My friends still don't know, my mom left me there to rot…who would've taken me in? And don't say you would've 'cuz I didn't have you until recently."

Seto nodded. "Katsuya…if you want to, you can stay here."

Jou smiled up at him. "I know."

"After what he did to you, I can have him put away."

"But…they'd send me to a foster home. They wouldn't let me stay here. Would they?"

"I'm Seto Kaiba. They're all afraid of me."

Jou giggled and snuggled up to him. "Afraid that big bad-ass CEO man who wears boxers with Blue Eyes White Dragons on them will eat them for breakfast."

Seto flushed. "Mokuba got them for me."

That just made Jou laugh harder. "I know, you couldn't just throw them out."

"If you don't stop laughing I'll never let you see me in my boxers again."Jou snickered. "Oh, now _that_ would be a shame!"

A/N: All right, there it is! Chapter three! Woohoo! I hope that length is better. I'm not promising that all the chapters will be long, they tend to just end themselves. :) Again, if you can think of any ways that I can improve, please let me know. A special thanks goes out to Seto'swhiterose for the especially long reviews! I look forward to getting them every time I update. As do I with all reviews. I read them all and take every one to heart. …unless it's a flame, but I haven't gotten any of those yet. Knock on wood. Anyway, thank you muchly!


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